India Tomorrow
New Delhi, May 9— Exactly two months after it formed a three-member mediation panel to explore amicable resolution of the decades-old title suit of Babri Masji-Ram Janmabhoomi, the Supreme Court of India is going to hear the case on Friday.
The panel of former Supreme Court judge Justice F M Khalifullah, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living and Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu is believed to have submitted its report.
According to a notice of the top court Thursday evening, the constitution bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S A Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer will hear the case at 10.30 am on Friday.
The top court had formed the mediation panel on March 8 this year, giving it eight weeks to submit its report. Despite heated arguments from both sides, the apex court chose to give mediation a chance as it allowed time to the Muslim parties to get through the translation of the entire documents related the property.
“We have considered the nature of the dispute arising. Notwithstanding the lack of consensus between the parties in the matter we are of the view that an attempt should be made to settle the dispute by mediation,” the five-member Constitution Bench had said.
For Mediation Panel, Eight Weeks, In-Camera Proceeding, Faizabad
The apex court had fixed some terms for the mediation proceeding.
One: The panel was asked to start proceeding within one week from the date of the top court’s judgment (i.e. by March 14 or 15 – the court passed the mediation order on March 8). The panel was to submit interim report in four weeks and complete the proceedings in eight weeks.
Two: The top court had directed that the mediation proceedings will be held in-camera. “We are of the further opinion that while the mediation proceedings are being carried out, there ought not to be any reporting of the said proceedings either in the print or in the electronic media,” said the top court in the judgment.
Three. The Supreme Court ordered that the media proceedings will be held in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh “to ensure success of the mediation proceedings”.
Babri Masjid — From installation of Hindu idols to Demolition
Some Hindu idols were installed inside the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1949. The title suit has since been in court. The mosque was razed to the ground by a Hindutva mob on December 6, 1992. Through the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993, the central government had acquired 67 acres of land in Ayodhya, including the plot of 2.7 acres where the mosque once stood. In 2003, the Supreme Court had ordered that the status quo be maintained with regard to the acquired 67 acres of land around the disputed site.
In 2010, the Allahabad High Court passed a verdict on the title suit of Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi and ordered trifurcation of the land equally among three parties – Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. However, all concerned parties challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court where it has since been pending.
On the other hand, the cases related to the demolition of the mosque are still pending in lower courts in Uttar Pradesh. Several top BJP leaders, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and others are accused.
